Archives for June 2010

A Glittery Hot Pink Lipstick with Class? Shocking, by Dolce & Gabbana

June 30th, 2010 by Karen 35 Comments

dolce gabbana shocking lipstick review photos swatches

Barely a week into summer, and I’m already distracted by fall! The fall makeup releases launching lately (did you catch the new Urban Decay stuff yesterday?) are trying to steal the spotlight from summer, but glittery hot pink Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Shocking aims to put the spotlight back where it belongs.

Yes, the $30 price hurts almost as much as that time Vampire Eric bit your neck in the basement at Fangtasia, but this bit of glittery goodness is like summer sunbeams on lips. It’s one of 32 permanent shades in the Dolce & Gabbana Classic Creams line of lipsticks (they remind me of Chanel Aqualumieres).

Hot pink glittery lipsticks sometimes venture into trashy territory, but Dolce & Gabbana handles Shocking with class. The color’s bright, but not *too* bright to actually wear around town, while its little flecks of glitter add a touch of fun yet sophisticated sparkle.
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9 Things People Never Told Me

June 30th, 2010 by Karen 129 Comments

A quick phone call would’ve sufficed…

Life is filled with lessons we learn along the way. Some we learn from others, like our friends and family, or the people on Shot at Love with Tila Tequila… And some we find out on our own.

Here are nine things I had to find out on my own:

1. Someday, I would love my curly hair

Coming from a family of straight-haired lads and lasses, I felt cursed by my wavy hair as a girl growing up in the ’80s and ’90s.

I spent a good chunk of my youth fighting against my natural hair and did just about everything the curly hair experts warn against.

Curly styling product options were more limited back then (I can’t think of anything other than L’Oreal Pumping Curls), but after college, years of experimentation and several bad haircuts, I grew to love my natural hair.

I’m glad I came around, too, because now there are entire haircare lines devoted to wavy/curly hair. AWESOME!

2. Change is a constant; embrace it

Everything is temporary — the good stuff and the bad. Instead of fighting every form of change, accept that it’s a part of life and make the most of every curve ball that comes your way.
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What Sets Tarte emphasEYES Apart from Other Shadows and Liners?

June 30th, 2010 by Karen 40 Comments

tarte emphaseyes review swatches photos

Rise and shine, morning glory. 🙂 Can we talk about clay? — as in Amazonian white clay (not Aiken)? Tarte’s new emphasEyes Shadow/Liners ($22), an entirely new product line released for summer, come in five shades — black, brown, indigo, plum and bronze — each made with something Tarte refers to as micronized Amazonian white clay.

Tarte claims it works wonders by moisturizing the skin while improving elasticity (among other things).

I just started wearing the Indigo one. It’s a deep shimmery blue with a rich, creamy texture (kinda reminds me of my beloved Benefit Creaseless Creams).

tarte emphaseyes review swatches photos box brush
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Dolce & Gabbana Shocking Lipstick

June 30th, 2010 by Karen 17 Comments

Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Shocking, $30.

Would you rock this?

Tabs the P.I.M.P.

June 30th, 2010 by Karen 18 Comments

How Did Topshop Do with New Limited Edition Topshop Nails for Spring and Summer 2010?

June 29th, 2010 by Karen 17 Comments

Topshop Amazon Nails

Sure, it might be summer in nail polish land, but right now some fairly offbeat colors are having their moment in the sun.

U.K. (and now US) retailer Topshop now has a makeup line to go with their clothes, and their SS10 Trend Collection of three limited edition shades ($10 each) for spring and summer 2010 sho’ don’t look like your typical summer pinks, corals, oranges and reds. No, sir. Gold Dust (a shimmery buttery gold), Copper Coated (a reddish copper with large glitter) and Cloud (a creamy bluish gray) are downright something else.

Take a look, and let me know what you think. 🙂
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Benefit Scene Queen: A Tuesday Smokey Eye Tutorial

June 29th, 2010 by Karen 42 Comments

benefit scene queen tutorial

Brace yourself, young lady, because someone’s about to make a scene — and it’s you! Do you remember last week’s grayish blue smokey eye from our look at the Benefit Scene Queen The Annie Collection palette? Here’s a quick breakdown of it with pictures and a how-to. 🙂

The Benefit Scene Queen palette

When would I rock a look like this? Well, often! — specifically, whenever I’d want to look dressed up but not overdone, day or night. If it feels a little too dramatic for daytime wear to work/school, maybe give it a try out one night with friends or your boo.
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For an Easy Summery Flush, Consider Too Faced Papa Don’t Peach Blush

June 29th, 2010 by Karen 57 Comments

too faced papa dont peach review photos swatches top

Some questions and answers reveal more about us than others do, like, do you reach for peach blush BEFORE your first cup of coffee in the morning? Or, does the very thought of a day without peach cheeks make you break out in a cold sweat? If you answered “yes” to either inquiry, hello, friend — my name is Karen, and I’m a fellow peach blush ~~addict~~ enthusiast. 🙂

My newest peach blush crush, the cleverly named Papa Don’t Peach ($20), pays homage to Madge while paying attention to cheeks. It’s one of four powder Brightening Blushes from Too Faced.

Totally easy to use, it kisses cheeks with a soft and shimmery peachy warmth that looks particularly pretty on cheeks attached to half-awake zombie girls early in the morning…

Too Faced has a knack for balancing pigmentation and wearability, and Papa Don’t Peach contains just enough pigmentation to be visible on the cheeks, but not so much that it takes 10 minutes to blend away harsh edges.

Too Faced Papa Dont Peach
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